Western Electric Company, Inc.

At&t Technologies, Inc.

Carroll D Spainhour

John R Nis

Alexander Coucoulas

Ralph E Frazee, Jr

Joseph Sanchez

Robert P Stawicki

Insertion of a lightguide preform (12) into a tube (14) without contacting the sides thereof is accomplished by first roughly aligning the rod in spaced axial alignment with the tube. Thereafter, the offset of the rod from the axis of the tube is measured and the amount of lateral movement of the rod from the axis is determined. Then the rod is moved laterally in accordance with the determined amount of movement to precisely align the rod with the tube. Once alignment has been achieved, the rod is inserted in the tube and the tube is collapsed thereabout. An apparatus (10) for practicing this method is disclosed.

Method and apparatus for inserting a glass rod into a glass tube

This disclosure is directed to an oxy-hydrogen torch (10) comprised of a plate (16) captured between first and second outer members (12 and 14). Each outer member has a plenum (18) which open towards, and is separated by, the plate (16). The plate (16) has a plurality of groups (29, 30, 31) of spaced grooves (32--32) in one major surface (34). The groups of grooves (32--32) are arranged in an interleaved relationship with groups (29', 30', 31') of spaced grooves (36--36) on the opposite surface (38). The grooves (32 and 36) extend from one surface 46 of the plate (16) to the respective plenums (18--18) in the outer members (12 and 14). Each of the grooves (32 and 36) in a group are radially directed at a different point. Oxygen is directed into one plenum (18) and hydrogen urged into the other plenum. The gases pass through the respective grooves (32 and 36) to the surface (46) of the torch (10) for mixing and ignition.

Torch

This disclosure is directed to an oxy-hydrogen torch (10) comprised of a nozzle plate (16) captured between first and second outer members (12 and 14). Each outer member has a plenum (18) which open towards, and is separated by, the plate (16). The nozzle plate (16) has a plurality of spaced grooves (32--32) in one major surface (34) which are arranged in an interleaved relationship with the spaced grooves (36--36) on the opposite surface (38). The grooves (32 and 36) extend from an edge of the plate (16) to the respective plenums (18--18) in the outer members (12 and 14). Oxygen is directed into one plenum (18) and hydrogen urged into the other plenum. The gases pass through the respective grooves (32 and 36) to the surface (46) of the torch (10) for surface mixing and ignition.

Method of heating a lightguide preform

A glass tube extrusion apparatus (50) is comprised of a chamber (52) having a crucible (72) therein mounted within and spaced from an inductive heating coil (77). As a glass tube (170) is extruded from an annular opening (74) in the bottom of the crucible (72) the tube is monitored for bending. When a bend starts to occur an X-Y motion apparatus (54) is activated to move the crucible (72) laterally within the coil (77) in a direction opposite to the bend to straighten the tube (170).

Method and apparatus for extruding glass tubes

A lightguide starting tube or rod (12) passes through opposed lateral openings (51--51) in a chamber (31) which contains an oxy-hydrogen torch (14) used to deposit particulate glass on the rod. Frusto-conical, laminar flow, gas shields (71 and 72) are formed about the rod (12) on both sides of said openings (51--51) to permit the rod to pass therethrough in spaced relation to the openings while sealing said openings to prevent gas or undeposited particulate from passing therethrough and preventing contaminants from entering the chamber (31).

Method and apparatus for fabricating lightguide preforms

Axial alignment of a pair of articles such as the ends of a pair of optical components is effected by an alignment device, which serves also as a connector. The alignment device employs a pair of sleeves, for holding the pair of articles, the sleeves being slidably and rotatably mounted in a pair of hingeably connected members. A pair of adjustment means disposed between the hinged members are used to move one of the members about the other member until the pair of articles are in axial alignment. An additional means is also included for locking the adjacent surfaces of the axially aligned pair of articles in a fixed position. Two embodiments of the device are disclosed.

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Princeton, NJ, United States of America

Carroll D Spainhour